Athletics bring in RHP Ben Sheets with US$10 million, one-year deal

OAKLAND, Calif. - The Oakland Athletics added another veteran arm to their young rotation, agreeing to terms Tuesday with free-agent righty Ben Sheets on a US$10 million, one-year contract.

The 31-year-old Sheets has been plagued by injuries. The four-time NL all-star didn't pitch in the majors last season while recovering from elbow surgery but last week held a pitching session for several scouts, including ones from the Blue Jays, in Louisiana.

The A's sent two representatives to watch Sheets throw, director of player personnel Billy Owens and minor league roving pitching instructor Gil Patterson.

"They liked what they saw," assistant general manager David Forst said in a phone interview. "Enough to lead us to think that we should pursue this."

Sheets spent his first eight major league seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers, going 86-83 with a 3.72 ERA. He struck out a career-best 264 batters in 2004.

Oakland, which recently re-signed two-time all-star Justin Duchscherer, still had a spot to fill in the rotation. The A's were set to formally introduce Sheets at a news conference later Tuesday.

Sheets will join Duchscherer, Brett Anderson and Dallas Braden - with the other rotation spot likely to be filled by either Gio Gonzalez or Trevor Cahill.

The A's can't be sure exactly what they'll get from either Duchscherer or Sheets since neither pitched in 2009. Duchscherer underwent arthroscopic right elbow surgery on March 31 and later was treated for clinical depression.